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LEYTE, Philippines – The Eastern Visayas regional police office will form a task group to investigate two grenade blasts that targeted the homes of two Samar officials in Catbalogan City on Friday, March 3.
A teenage girl and a 6-year-old were hurt in one of the blasts.
The Eastern Visayas Police Regional Office said the Special Investigation Task Group will look into the blast just outside the home of Barangay Canlapwas chairperson Ma Elfa de Jesus, and another inside the yard of Hinabangan Municipal Administrator Lucio Bacarra Pacle – both in Catbalogan City.
The incidents are the latest in grenade attacks on Samar officials’ homes this year. On January 31, unidentified men lobbed grenades on the two homes and warehouse of San Jorge town Mayor Joseph Grey, injuring the mayor’s security detail and a municipal aide.
Chief Superintendent Elmer Beltejar, Philippine National Police Eastern Visayas chief, said a grenade was hurled at the fence of De Jesus at 1:30 am on Friday, injuring 17-year-old Faith Alegro Rosales and BJ Gacuma Bernate, 6.
Rosales was waiting for a ride while Bernate was sleeping outside their house a few meters away from the blast site when the incident happened.
Both victims suffered slight injuries and were brought to the Samar Provincial Hospital for immediate medical attention, Beltejar said.
Second explosion
The second explosion happened 20 minutes later in P-1, Barangay Silanga.
A hand grenade was thrown inside the gate of Pacle, which partially damaged his vehicle and bored holes in his steel gate.
According to witnesses of both blasts, the suspects in both cases were two men wearing bonnets and black jackets, riding a motorcycle.
The police are looking into the possibility that the same suspects are responsible for both attacks, but the motive is still being determined.
Beltejar has ordered increased security, and checkpoints in strategic areas including “all routes to airports and piers/seaports and other public areas and stepped up intelligence monitoring” following the explosions.
“We are stepping up security measures for everyone’s safety. All activities in the area remain normal. We will not allow lawless elements to derail our path towards peace,” he said.
Catbalogan City police are conducting a follow-up investigation on the incidents and has coordinated with the PRO8 Explosives and Ordnance Division and Scene of the Crime Operatives team for cartographic sketches of the suspects. – Rappler.com
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